Minnesota Wants say in Red River Diversion Lawsuit

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants to participate in a lawsuit challenging a Red River diversion project so it can be heard on arguments about state regulation.

A group representing upstream townships and counties in North Dakota and Minnesota has filed a federal lawsuit that asks the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to come up with a cheaper project that doesn't flood farmland.

The Minnesota DNR says in documents filed Tuesday that the Red River Diversion Authority should not argue it is immune to state regulation because the project would be built primarily by the corps.

The DNR says a massive holding area that would be used in times of serious flooding is a high-hazard dam that requires Minnesota permits and triggered a mandatory environmental review under state law.

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